Resetting your progress in Forza Horizon 5 on Windows 11 might seem like a hassle, but honestly, it’s pretty straightforward once you’ve done it once or twice. The tricky part is diving into the folders and making sure you’re deleting the right files. Basically, you’re wiping the game slate clean, so when you launch it again, it forgets everything – your cars, your wins, your custom setups. Just a heads up—this deletes all your current data, so if you’re fond of any progress, better back it up first.
Resetting Forza Horizon 5 Progress on PC Windows 11
These steps will get your saved game data out of the way, giving you a fresh start. The reason this works is because the game stores its progress in specific files on your hard drive, and by deleting them, you tell the game to start over. It’s a bit like hitting the reset button, but with some folder navigation involved.
Method 1: Manually deleting save files
Step 1: Fire up File Explorer
Open up File Explorer either by clicking the folder icon in your taskbar or pressing Windows + E. This opens the portal to all your files and folders.
On some setups, File Explorer can be finicky, especially if you have a lot of custom views or library settings. Just make sure you’re in the right directory.
Step 2: Find the save game folder
Navigate to C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\My Games\Forza Horizon 5. That’s where all your game save files tend to reside, at least on a default setup. If you’ve changed the save location, you’ll need to find where you pointed it.
Note: On some setups, the folder might be hidden if you have hidden files enabled, so double-check your folder options if it doesn’t show up immediately.
Step 3: Delete those files
Pick everything inside that folder and delete it. On occasion, some files might be read-only or locked, so you might get prompted to confirm or override permissions. If that happens, just say yes.
Make sure you’re deleting *Only* the Forza files—no other stuff, or you might mess up your system or other games.
Step 4: Disable cloud saves in Xbox/iCloud
This is super important because otherwise, your game might re-download old data from the cloud. Head over to the Xbox app, find your game, then turn off cloud saves for Forza Horizon 5. Sometimes, this is under Settings > General > Cloud Saved Games. On other setups, you’d disable this within the game, but on PC, the app is the main spot.
Worth noting: Sometimes, cloud saves are enabled by default, so if you don’t turn them off, the game just pulls your old progress back in after quitting and restarting.
Step 5: Launch the game
Start up Forza Horizon 5 fresh—and voilà, you should be looking at the intro screens and setup prompts as if it’s your first time. No previous progress, no autosaves restoring old stuff.
On some machines, it seems like it’s not instant—sometimes you need to restart the PC or at least restart the game for everything to clear properly. Weird, but that’s Windows for you.
Method 2: Using Command Line or Scripts
For those who like to get technical—because why not—there’s an option to use command prompts to delete save files or clear cache. Open PowerShell as admin, then run a command like:
Remove-Item -Path "C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\My Games\Forza Horizon 5\*" -Force
This is quicker if you’re confident with CLI and want to automate the reset, especially if you’re resetting multiple games. Just swap out the path accordingly. Always double-check what you’re deleting—mistakes can happen fast with command lines.
Pro tip: On some setups, the game might store local cache elsewhere—like in %localappdata% or similar. If deleting the save files doesn’t do enough, you might have to clear those as well.
Tips for Resetting Forza Horizon 5 Progress on PC Windows 11
- Backup saves: Seriously, if there’s stuff you don’t want to lose forever, copy those files somewhere safe before deleting.
- Check cloud settings: After disabling cloud saves, give your game a restart and make sure the cloud player isn’t syncing in the background—sometimes it’s sneaky.
- Update the game: Make sure To the latest version, because old versions might act weird after a reset.
- Sign in to the right account: Sometimes, your progress is tied to the Xbox account you use. Be sure you’re signed in with the same one if you want a clean slate.
- Settings reset: After clearing progress, you might want to go into in-game settings and re-tweak your preferences—defaults tend to load after a reset.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the save files for Forza Horizon 5?
Typically, they live in C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\My Games\Forza Horizon 5. If you can’t find them there, they might be somewhere custom or hidden, so check your Folder Options.
Can I recover my save files after deleting?
If you didn’t back them up or disable cloud saves, probably not. The files are gone, and unless cloud sync re-downloads them, they’re lost—so think twice before deleting.
Why turn off cloud saves before deleting?
Because Windows and Xbox cloud sync are sneaky—they might restore your progress unless you turn them off. Better safe than sorry.
Will resetting erase my custom game settings?
Most likely yes. Resetting typically reverts things to defaults, so you’ll need to reconfigure controls, graphic settings, or preferences afterward.
Can I reset my progress via Xbox console too?
Yep, but that’s a different process involving account management and cloud settings on the Xbox itself. It’s a bit more involved but doable if you have the console handy.
Summary
- Open File Explorer
- Navigate to C:\Users\[Your Username]\Documents\My Games\Forza Horizon 5
- Delete all files inside
- Disable cloud saves in Xbox app
- Restart the game and start fresh
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Sometimes, starting over is the best way to get back into the groove and rediscover the game’s magic. Good luck out there on the roads!